re: Was Morten Andersen really that good? (Posted on 8/6/13 at 9:04 am to Bayou)

quote:Yes - thread over

he had a strong leg that attempted a lot of longer fg's, missed a lot of them too, was incredible on kickoffs, not sure how above and beyond special he was comparatively speaking to other good kickers under 40 though.

re: Was Morten Andersen really that good? (Posted on 8/6/13 at 9:33 pm to Chad504boy)

While kicking has not evolved in the last 25 years, one noticeable difference is the number of indoor/outdoor stadiums. When he first started, the majority were outdoors where FG% is obviously lower. Keep that in mind when looking at sheer percentage.

STEVED00North Carolina St. FanMetairie, LAMember since May 200711572 posts

re: Was Morten Andersen really that good? (Posted on 8/7/13 at 5:31 am to Chad504boy)

I think kicking haa "evolved" in the last 10 or so yrs. plus like others said, he attempted a lot more "long" fgs bc of the saints offense woes. compare his stats to his peers during the same time frame and see what u get.

re: Was Morten Andersen really that good? (Posted on 8/7/13 at 7:18 am to Chad504boy)

Andersen's kicking "opportunities" were increased by playing on a offensively conservative team. I think Carl Smith was the OC, and it seemed like anytime we got inside the opponent's 40 yard line, Morten was warming up. NO killer instinct or aggressive play calling of any kind. So YES, he was that good...especially when the game was on the line and the FG was a long one! Mr. Clutch.

re: Was Morten Andersen really that good? (Posted on 11/11/13 at 1:35 pm to Chad504boy)

It may have gotten lost in this thread, but kickers have evolved. They are much better at their craft than they used to be. They make field goals at a much higher rate now than they used to. I'd be curious to see the % of made fg's 40-49 now compared to 20 years ago. Its probably gone up a good bit. The may need to consider bringing the goal posts in a couple feet on each side.

re: Was Morten Andersen really that good? (Posted on 11/11/13 at 1:44 pm to Chad504boy)

quote:Was Morten Andersen really that good?

Um....yes....yes he was!

As someone who grew up watching Morten...I can't speak to all of the kicker of the NFL prior to him. BUT I can say that there hasn't been anyone as good in the NFL since then. (Maybe Adam V. in his prime). If kickers must be inducted into the hall; than I would not have a problem with it being these two.

bluesloverNew Orleans Saints Fansoon to be south of zeroMember since Sep 200720918 posts

re: Was Morten Andersen really that good? (Posted on 11/11/13 at 2:11 pm to Chad504boy)

League wide avg of pct FG made & Anderson

When he started fulltime 1983- 68.2% 75.0%

mid career 1993- 76.6% 80.0%

toward the end 2003- 79.2% 80.0%

Kickers have only gotten better & better year by year. Over his career the average kicker in the NFL was successful 10% more. Last year the avg. was 83.9%. So another 10% better in the past 10 years.

A major factor in old guys FG% was also that the rule was if you missed a FG the ball was spotted at the 20yd line not the line of scrimmage. So they made a heckuva a lot more long attempts. If you missed the ball still went forward. If Dempsey had missed his 63yder, instead of the LOS at about their own 44 the ball would have been placed 36 yds down the field.